Five natriuretic peptides (NP) have been identified: A-type, B-type, C-type, D-type and V-type. All of them have ringed-structures. The actions of the natriuretic peptides are modulated through their cognate receptors, which are named as NPR-A,NPR-B and NPR-C. The receptors are involved in the cGMP-dependent signaling cascades,which take part in many different physiological regulation, such as diureses,vasodilatation, depressing blood pressure, improving immunity, promoting development of bone, regulating nerve system and so on. At present, ANP and BNP have become a marker in diagnostic some cardiovascular diseases.

[Summary] Serum cystatin C levels were measured by microparticle enhanced turbidimetry in 114 type 2diabetic patients without retinopathy (group A) and 105 type 2 diabetic patients with retinopathy (group B),as well as 47 normal healthy individuals as controls (group NC).The results showed that the serum cystatin C level of group B was much higher than those of group NC and group A (P＜0.05).However,there was no difference in serum cystatin C level between group NC and group A.Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that serum levels of cystatin C and cholesterol,and systemic blood pressure were independent risk factors of diabetic retinopathy in type 2 diabetic patients (all P＜0.05),suggesting that detection of serum cystatin C level may play an important role in early diagnosis and prevention of diabetic retinopathy.

OBJECTIVE:To observe the efficacy of levoamlodipine besylate combined with piracetam for vascular dementia(VD).METHODS:66 patients with VD were enrolled:33(treatment group) were assigned to receive Levoamlodipine besylate 2.5～5 mg q.d plus piracetam 0.8 g tid for 3 months,and another 33(control group) to receive piracetam 0.8 g tid plus basic treatment based on patients' blood glucose,blood pressure and blood lipid levels.The patients were given 3-month follow-up.Mini-Mental State Examination(MMSE),Activity of Daily Living Scale(ADL),Hasegawa Dementia Scale(HDS) and Wechsler Memory Scale(WMS) were used to evaluate the patient's cognitional function and mental state before and after treatment.RESULTS:MMSE,ADL,HDS,and WMS scores after treatment were(22.48?3.25),(25.16?8.96),(23.14?2.91),(71.14?19.01),respectively in treatment group versus(20.56?3.18),(29.74?13.01),(20.41?6.25),(60.35?20.60),respectively in control group.The treatment had a better improvement in symptoms than control group did and there was statistical difference between groups(P

ObjectiveTo establish a new method for diagnosis of active human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) i nfection and disease in transplant recipients.MethodsThe expression of HCMV pp67-mRNA in blood was detected by the nucleic acid sequence-based amplification (NASBA), in comparison to detection of pp65 HCMV a ntigen in white blood cells.ResultsIn 50 patients subject to transplantation, 26 were positive for pp65 (≥1/50 000 WBC). Among them, 16 were positive for pp67. In 9 cases of CMV with symptoms, b oth pp65 and pp67 were positive. In the patients negative for pp65, pp67 was not positive. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value were 100?%, 88?%, 56?% and 100?%, respectively.ConclusionDetection of pp67-mRNA by NASBA is a rapid objective and accurate approach for the diagnosis of HCMV infection.

BACKGROUND: Triiodothyronine (T3) is an important regulation factor at the critical period of brain development. It maybe control the successive differentiation during the development of central nervous system (CNS).OBJECTIVE: To monitor the differentiation of neural stem cells (NSCs) induced by T3 and the thyroid hormone receptor (TR) mRNA expression changes.DESIGN: Open experiment.SETTING: Department of Pathology, Tianjin Medical College of Chinese People's Armed Police Force; Institute of Endocrinology of Tianjin Medical University.MATERIALS: This study was carried out in the Tianjin Medical University between January 2003 and March 2005.Ten-to-twelve-week-old aborted fetuses were obtained from the General Hospital of Tianjin Medical University with the approval of the local ethical committee. Informed consents were obtained from the mothers and their relatives.METHODS: ①Under the aseptic condition, the bilateral cortex of human fetal brain was removed and dissociated by brief mechanical trituration in D-Hanks. Then, 20 μg/L bFGF and 30 nmol/L T3 were used to induce the proliferation of NSCs and inoculated to poly-L-lysine-coated 24-well plate and 25 mL culture flask for routine culture at 1 ×109 L-1. The culture medium was DMEM/F12 serum-free complemented with N2. Half of the culture medium was changed every 48 hours.Seven days later, bFGF was discarded, only T3 was used for induction and differentiation. ② At 1, 2 and 3 weeks of culture, cells were collected, and RT-PCR was semiquantitatively used to detect TR mRNA expression changes at different stages of differentiation of NSCs. Isoforms were identified by immuocytochemistry.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: ①Cellular morphology observation and isoforms identification before and after differentiation of NSCs induced by T3. ② TR mRNA expression changes during the differentiation of NSCs.RESULTS: ①The hNSCs were round and had a smooth surface and gradually gathered to neurospheres. The proliferative hNSCs were nestin-positive and incorporated BrdU. When NSCs were induced by T3 for one week, most of the cells took on monopole or double poles, and had long and thin processes. The differentiated cells were neurofilament protein (NFP)-positive, galactocerebroside (GC)-positive or glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP)-positive. When NSCs were induced by T3 for three weeks, most of the cells were big, with unclear cell membrane, round nucleus, many thick processes which had many branches. The spider-like cells were scattered, and 80% of the cells were myelin basic protein-positive. ② TRα1 mRNA expression level was the highest before inducing NSCs. With the induction of T3, the expression level was decreased gradually, and was the lowest at 2 weeks, and then was rebounded gradually, but the final level was still lower than that of NSC (F =32.49, P =0.008). The tendency of TRα2 mRNA expression alteration was identical with that of TRα1 mRNA. TRβ1 mRNA expression level was the lowest in NSC, was increased gradually with the induction of T3 and attained the highest level at 2 weeks of induction of T3. Furthermore, the expression level of TRβ1 mRNA was also higher than that of TRα1 at the same time (t =15.64,P =0.001), and it reached the lowest level at 3 weeks of the induction. TRα3 expression level was firstly decreased after the differentiation induced by T3, and was close to the expression level of NSC at 2 weeks of induction (F =51.94, P =0.378), then was decreased to lower lever.CONCLUSION: T3 can induce NSC to differentiate into neurons, oligodendrocyte and astrocytes. TR mRNAs are expressed in different time intervals during the differentiation of NSCs.

Objective To study the expression of KISS-1 in normal endometrium and in ectopic endometri-um patients with endometriosis. Methods The expression of KISS-1 in 55 cases of normal endometrium as well in 46 cases of ectopie endometriurn with endometriosis were detected by immunohistochemicai EliVision plus method. Results The positive expression rates of KISS-1 in ectopic endometriotic tissues and in normal endometri-urn were 30.43 % and 63.64 % respectively ,and the positive expression rates in ectopic endometriotic tissues signifi-cantly lower than those in the normal endometrium( P< 0.01, P < 0.05). Conclusion The decreased expression of KISS-1 may be related to the mechanism of endometriosis.

FRTL cells were incubated in the culture medium containing 10 -6 -10-3 mol/L KI for 24, 48 and 72 h, and the levels of sodium iodide symporter (NIS) mRNA and protein were measured using RT-PCR and Western blot. The levels of NIS mRNA in FRTL cells incubated with different concentrations of iodide for 24 and 48 h showed no significant difference as compared with the control group, however, NIS protein was reduced gradually in FRTL cells incubated with different concentrations of iodide for 48 and 72 h as compared with that in control group. The higher the iodide concentration, the lower the levels of NIS protein. The results show that acute iodine excess does not affect the expression of NIS mRNA, but down-regulates NIS protein expression. Iodine excess may regulate the expression of NIS through post-transcription.

Objective To study the effects of injection of brain waking-liquid on unconsciouness rat as its outer brain injured. Methods To inject via abdomen the liquid to the testing rats with symptoms. Results The surviving rate and the consciousness regaining rate of every testing group is obviously higher than that of control groups. They have notable differences statistically.Conclusion The brain waking liquid is effective for curing the unconsciouness by outer brain injury.

Objective:To investigate the effects of exogenous hydrogen peroxide(H_2O_2)on mitochondrial superoxide production and mitochondrial membrane potential changes(△ψ)in fisher rat thyroid cell line(FRTL).Methods:Following 1 mmol/L H_2O_2 exposure in FRTL cells for 10 min,30 min and 24 h,mitochondrial superoxide production was measured by living cell imaging and flow cytometry using MitoSOX.The mitochondrial membrane potential was assayed by spectrofluorimeter and fluorescent microscopy using rhodamine 123(rh123).The cell viability was detected by MTT colorimetric method.Morphological changes were observed by invert microscope.Apoptosis assay was performed by acridine orange staining.Results:Quantitative measurements of the mean intensities of MitoSOX demonstrated significant increase with 1 mmol/L H_2O_2 following 10 min,30 min and 24 h treatment in FRTL cells compared with that of control.Fluorescence intensity of rh123 and optical density of MTr were significantly decreased in FRTL ceils with 1 mmol/L H_2O_2 following 30 min and 24 h treatment(P ＜ 0.01).Under light microscope and fluorescence microscope the characteristic morphological features of programmed cell death,pickuosis,karyorrhexis,and cell shrinkage were observed after acridine orange staining.Conclusion:Acute and chronic exogenous H_2O_2 exposure cause oxide stress in FRTL cells,which result in the increase of mitochondrial superoxide production,△ψdecline,cell necrosis and apoptosis.

Object To study the influence of main active principles of ZHIGANCAO DECOCTIDN (ZD), glycyrrhizic acid (GA), ginseng total saponin (GTS) and Ophiopogon total saponin (OTS) on electrophysiology of isolated rat myocardium Methods The influence of GA, GTS and OTS on the automaticity, excitability and functional refractory period of isolated rat atrium and papillary muscle were studied in comparison with ZD made free of the above said active ingredients Results The combine use of GA, GTS and OTS significantly decreased the automaticity, inhibited excitaibility and prolonged the functional refractory period of isolated rat atrium; decreased the automaticity and arrhythmia of papillary muscle induced by epinephrine, while ZD made free of GS, GTS and OTS showed much less effect than the intact decoction Conclusion GA, GTS and OTS proved to be the main effective ingredients responsible for the antiarrhythmic activity of ZD